Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy grass-fed dairy, particularly if it’s been cultured into something delicious like cheese or sour cream. But coconut milk has a rich place in the cuisines of the world, and a valuable place in my own kitchen.

Then one day, I noticed something truly odd: coconut milk in the refrigerator section of the grocery store. Coconut milk doesn’t need to be refrigerated. So, I grabbed the container of So Delicious Coconut Milk from the shelf, turned it to read the ingredients label, and cringed inwardly.

So Delicious Coconut Milk (Original): DECODED

Organic coconut milk is, of course, what this beverage is all about. It’s made from water and coconut cream, and my only complaint is minor. I simply wish the ratio of cream to water was higher so that the drink could be: 1) higher in the excellent healthy fats coconuts are naturally rich in, 2) naturally creamier, and 3) taste more like coconuts.

Organic dried cane syrup is sugar. It’s not, perhaps, any less refined than table sugar, but at least it’s organic and from sugar cane. The good news? It’s not made from genetically-modified sugar beets, and the organic growing practices mean that it’s better for the environment.

Calcium phosphate and magnesium phosphate, along with vitamin A acetate, vitamin D2, L-selenomethionine, zinc oxide, folic acid, and vitamin B12 are all micronutrients added to mimic the nutrient profile of cow’s milk.

I have never been a fan of synthetic vitamins. Not only are they hard on your liver, but they’re completely unnecessary if you’re eating a wholesome diet rich in real, nutrient-dense food.

As much as I would wish these added vitamins weren’t in this coconut milk drink, they’re not dangerous to the average Food Renegade. However, if you know your liver is already taxed (if, say, you have fatty liver disease, routinely take prescription drugs, or are detoxing for health reasons), then it’s best to avoid them.

Guar Gum and Xanthum Gum are added as emulsifiers. They make the drink creamer without the extra coconut cream. From a food manufacturer’s perspective, that not only saves money (these gums are surely cheaper than extra coconut cream), it also creates a more marketable product (because the general public is still afraid of higher fat foods). If you’re unsure about whether or not to get more fat in your diet it, read: 5 Ways to Get More Fat in Your Diet.

Guar Gum is derived from an actual food — the guar bean. It’s easy to grow and 100% natural. It’s only downside is that some studies show that those who eat a massive amount of the gum (upwards of 21g per day), experience gastrointestinal distress. Most of us will never get this much guar gum in our diets if we’re simply consuming it as a food additive, so we won’t experience any ill effects from it. However, if you’ve got any kind of digestive disorder like SIBO or IBS, you may want to avoid it.

Xanthum Gum is a mostly indigestible polysaccharide that is produced by bacteria fermenting a sugar-containing medium like genetically-modified corn, soy, or wheat. Healthwise, it’s similar to guar gum in that studies indicate it may cause digestive distress in those who are susceptible. Because this coconut milk drink is certified GMO-free, we can be confident that the xanthum gum in it isn’t derived from genetically-modified sources.

So Delicious Coconut Milk (Original): THE VERDICT

Is this a good coconut milk for cooking? No.

Is this a good coconut milk for drinking? Maybe….

I think this beverage is good as a compromise drink, in moderation. I generally dislike drinking sweetened beverages, but sometimes you want something special and while the sugar is questionably “natural” it’s at least GMO-free and organic. I also generally dislike consuming synthetic vitamins, but these are negligible amounts and my family isn’t going to be drinking this beverage every day.

It all boils down to where your comfort levels rest. This is obviously a convenience food and not for everyone.

After all, if you’ve got any kind of digestive problems, this coconut milk beverage made with xanthum and guar gums may cause you more stomach upset. If you’ve got any kind of liver problems, the fortification with synthetic vitamins may interfere with your detox process.

Want Your Labels Decoded?

In this series on Decoding Labels, I’m highlighting deceptive labeling practices, hidden ingredients, and more! If you’ve got a particular label pet-peeve you’d like me to share, please feel free to email me with your idea. It may just turn into a blog post!

About the Author

Kristen Michaelis CNC has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2008. Founder and CEO of Food Renegade, she's a passionate advocate for REAL FOOD -- food that's sustainable, organic, local, and traditionally-prepared according to the wisdom of our ancestors. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) from Dallas Baptist University in Philosophy and Biblical Studies, then began her post-graduate journey as a researcher in the fields of health and nutrition. While she adores hats & happy skirts, nothing inspires her quite like geeking out over nutrition & sustainable agriculture. Nutrition educator & author of the go-to book on nutrition for fertility, she's also a rebel with a cause who enjoys playing in the rain, a good bottle of Caol Isla scotch, curling up with a page-turning book, sunbathing on her hammock, and parenting her three children as they grow into young adults.

I believe I specifically said that I’m not a fan of synthetic vitamins, and that they’re not only hard on your liver, but unnecessary if you’re eating a nutrient-dense diet. Where did I say that vitamin D2 was good for you?

Anything from So Delicious kills my gut, even small amounts, I work in the natural food industry and consider them to be very low quality products. Prefer to make my own, or use Trader joes, even though not organic.

The ads on my site are interest-based ads, meaning that what you see is based on your browsing history. Since I’m currently on vacation, I’m seeing ads for car rentals and hotels. If you’re seeing Dr. Pepper ads, it’s likely that you or someone in your household has been searching for soda recipes or reading articles about sodas. I do my best to prevent all food ads from showing up, but some things slip through the cracks because of how they’re categorized. I’ll let my ad manager know about the soda ads, thanks!

I called the company, as I was concerned about the inner package It has aluminum in it( why the silver color) At 74 years of age , I want coconut products to protect my brain. using it out of aluminum defeats my purpose. One great thing came out of all this, I’ve started making my own (very easy ,simple, and fast. I would recomend every one start making their own. Thanks for all you do. Your friend Linda

What about the highly inflammatory ingredient: Carrageenan? Personally, I would never recommend this product to my clients in my holistic health practice. This is just a sugary drink blend, not a healthy option in my perspective, but everyone’s idea of “healthy” is different, I understand. Besides coconut is far too over-rated. Coconut is a toxic food for many individuals and they don’t even realize it. It can cause intestinal issues in many. It’s just not a good choice for most.

Yes, the homemade milk should be refrigerated. Store bought coconut milk also needs to be refrigerated once it’s opened. It’s just usually vacuum sealed or canned for shelf-storage, so doesn’t need to be displayed in the refrigerator section. It’s only refrigerated for marketing purposes, to sell it as a milk alternative (alongside milk) rather than an ingredient.

OK, you state true facts about the guar and xanthan gums which prevent people’s guts from healing and are in all the milks and gluten free products today. How about the carrageenan that is in all these milks as well and is a known carcinogen? The cane syrup is no healthier than corn syrup and folic acid is a unmetabolized synthetic supplement. Not to mention that coconut in all forms is not good for most blood types. Only certain O’s and B’s can benefit from it. Organic coconut oil and coconut oil nearly killed me almost 6 yrs ago.

Gums are in everything now and it’s outrageous to me…Most products that I see that the gums are added to don’t even need them in the first place. I do have a very sensitive gut from time to time and I stay away from this stuff. It does bother me, and doesn’t have to be large quantities either. I couldn’t drink alternative milks if I wanted to. Also, gums are prevalent in gluten free foods. So….Someone tries to go gluten free to see if it doesn’t help their digestion and then they start using the gums and they get distress. BOLOGNA!! I’m actually quite frustrated by a lot of ingredients that are added to foods. I don’t fully understand how certain ingredients find their way into foods that didn’t need it. Guar, Xantham, Locust, Carob, Carageenan, bunch of craaaaap.

Thank you for this. I have a new vegan wannabe in my household, and we are exploring alternatives to dairy.

In the past, I’ve used canned coconut milk in baking, occasionally, but avoided it because of the plastic liners in the cans. With all things non-dairy coming only in plastic, I gave the canned coconut milk another whirl, only to discover that the only organic option available in our stores right now has guar gum. I am grateful for your explanation of that additive.

I’m not ready to invest in a VitaMix yet, so making homemade nut milks isn’t really an option for us either. I do wish we could buy pure, non-dairy milks in glass bottles and without all the junk!

So delicious contains carrageenan in all the Canadian dairy free milks. I I wrote and asked why the states versions are carrageenan free I received this replie
“and foremost, we want to assure you that we believe that food-grade carrageenan is safe, and that the decision to phase carrageenan out of our products was actually based on feedback from our fans. We only use the highest quality plant-based, food-grade carrageenan as a natural thickening agent, and do not use the degraded carrageenan (poligeenan), which should never be used as a food ingredient.

All new So Delicious® Dairy Free products launched since November, 2013 are carrageenan-free and we will continue to work on phasing carrageenan out of the rest of our recipes over the next few years, but it is a complex process to find alternatives that will allow us to maintain the same taste and creaminess our fans have come to love. There may in some cases be variations between our US and Canadian products as we will gear them toward the tastes and preferences of our fans in each country, so the best way to determine whether the product contains carrageenan is to check the ingredients on the product packaging itself.

Omg, how funny because I just looked this up after ranting over the fact that so delicious coconut milk has Zinc Oxide in its ingredients which is BS. When I researched Zinc Oxide consumption, I kept getting toxicity reports which is blatantly scary, but if that’s not the cherry on top, consider this;people are now realizing it’s zinc oxide in sunscreen that could be harmful and potentially cancerous on the skin, so imagine “inside” your body… ugh! Thank you so much for this article, it’s nice to be on the team that shines light on information, over these conglomo-jerks who want to feed us cheaply made crap and get lawyers to find loopholes into calling it healthy.

Kristen, great stuff, I already pinned your coconut milk piece.. This is exactly what people need to know there is so much confusion in the grocery store these days. I post things on FB everyday and I will also Pin it when i am home. Keep it coming.

I found this in a search to find out why there are refrigerated versions and non-refrigerated versions. Do you know? And for the record, I prefer this coconut milk-like beverage, because a) it DOESNT taste like coconut (most of my family dislikes coconut flavor), and b) for that same reason, it’s been a really good substitute for milk in cooking foods that I don’t want to taste coconutty, like Mac n cheese for my kids. I lalways have cans of full fat coconut milk for many other recipes but there are still those few that coconut flavor ruins then recipe. Do you have a recommendation for other milk substitutes that would work for these purposes?

Hi! I just came across your blog today and I am hooked! This decoding labels section of your blog is something I have been trying to find forever. This is such a great post and thank you for sharing all of your insight!

RECENTLY ON FOOD RENEGADE

MEET THE FOOD RENEGADE

Founder and CEO of Food Renegade, Kristen Michaelis CNC has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2008. She’s a passionate advocate for REAL FOOD — food that’s sustainable, organic, local, and traditionally-prepared according to the wisdom of our ancestors. [LEARN MORE]